The Boy of the Deep Woods
by XphiaDP
Summary: "You're not gonna get that to work," a boy's voice spoke from behind her. Sam tensed and hurled a rock at a boy who seemed to melt out of the shadows. "Who are you?" Sam demanded holding a rock in her hand. She looked ready to chuck it at this guy's head the moment he did anything suspicious... If hanging out in the Deep Forest in the dark wasn't counted as suspicious.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey peoples! XphiaDP here and here's my first Danny Phantom fanfic! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Danny Phantom, Phantom Planet would not exist and Danny and Sam would have gotten together a heck of a lot sooner.**

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><p>Sam stomped through the woods trying to find the exit. Every bit of green looked like the next, and she walked past a fallen tree for possibly the fifth time. She sat down on the said tree with a huff. "Great. Just great. I just wanted to explore and I end up getting lost in the Deep Forest. Just my luck," she growled throwing her head into her hand.<p>

A twig snapped echoing through the abnormally silent woods. Sam's head whipped around to find the source of the sound. She was met with the darkness of the wood and the whistling of the wind in the bare trees. She gazed warily at the void before facing back in front of her.

"The forest is getting to me. It should not be getting to me! I'm a goth! I should love creepy places like this," she murmured. An owl's screech shattered the eerie atmosphere, and Sam almost jumped out of her skin.

"But to be honest, I'm not liking this," she said taking several deep breaths in to calm herself.

Soon shadows began to stretch and the light began to fade away. Night was falling, and falling fast.

Sam collected some dry twigs from the ground and started attempting to start a fire. She grabbed some matches from her bag and tried to get the wood to burn. She stroke match after match, but the twigs just would not catch fire.

"You're not gonna get that to work," a boy's voice spoke from behind her. Sam tensed and hurled a rock at the source of the voice – a boy that seemed to melt out of the shadows. He dodged out of the way with abnormal peed and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Who are you?" Sam demanded holding a rock in her right hand. She looked ready to chuck it at this guy's head the moment he did anything suspicious… If hanging out in the Deep Forest in the dark wasn't considered suspicious.

The boy turned and grabbed a branch from one of the nearby trees. He struck it against a rock, and the end burst into flame. "Spirits are really wanting to eat you right now. I suggest getting out as soon as possible. Follow me," he said as he started walking into the night completely ignoring Sam's question.

"Wait!" she screamed as she ran after him. "What spirits?"

The boy shrugged, and Sam got her first good look at him with the firelight. He was wearing a black ninja outfit trimmed with white. White gloves covered his hands, and a green bladed sword at his hip glowed with a soft light. His lower face was covered by a black cloth, and most of his upper face was covered by a black Conical Asian hat. His eyes were a supernatural green with bright blue flecks, and a couple strands of snow white fair fell into his face. **(A/N: Think the ninja outfit from "Infinite Realms")**

The boy pushed aside some branches. "The spirits that inhabit this forest. After like an hour and a half of you stomping around the forest, they got a little fed up and were ready for a snack," he said casually. How he managed to do so was beyond Sam.

"Wait, you knew I was here all this time!" she yelled. The boy nodded. "And you didn't help me?!"

The boy sighed. "You were so close to the exit that I thought you'd find your way out, but I guess I was wrong. Speaking of which, here we are!" He motioned to a simple wooden gate that divided the village from the woods.

Sam heard the worried screams of her parents and saw the beams of searchlights. She groaned. "Great…" She turned back to the boy only to find his disappearing back into the forest. She only caught a glimpse of his white gloved hand wave goodbye, before he disappeared back into the dark. Sam blinked.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

She stood there staring at the forest before she heard the shriek of, "Sammy-kins!" Her head dropped and an audible groan escaped her lips. Slowly she turned towards the voice. An overly accessorized woman with a large blond hairdo and dressed in pink pulled Sam into a bone crushing hug.

"Human contact… crushing goth indifference," she muttered trying to pull away. The woman held Sam by the shoulders.

"Samantha, where have you been all this time? You had me and your father worried sick!" she scolded. Sam sighed before twisting out of her mother's grasp. She walked towards the extravagant cabin they were living in for the time being.

"None of your business!" she called over her shoulder. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and let her mind wonder to the boy. _'Just who was he?' _she wondered.

Little did she know that the boy was watching her from the branches of one of the trees. He watched her get tackled by the woman in pink and he saw Sam stomp away in the same manner that she was all around the forest. A smile found a way onto his lips.

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><p>"This one's interesting," he said. With that he jumped to the ground with a practiced ease and ran off into the night.<p>

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><p><strong>Welp! That's it! Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think in the reviews *coughcoughnudgewink* See ya later!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo guys! Sorry it took me so long to update. School had been crazy and I had play practices til like 6:30 every night. Now that school's over with I should be able to update more often, but I can't promise exact dates. Plus I had extreme writer's block and this sounded like a piece of crap to me... Thank Areku for spamming me to post and my cousin for editing it! Anyways, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: Dude... 14 year old girl. Of course I don't own Danny Phantom...**

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><p>Sam pulled her laptop from her bag. She opened up a video chat and as boy's face popped up onto the screen. The boy smiled and spoke, "Hey Sam. How's the trip to Japan?"<p>

"It's pretty good so far. I managed to avoid my parents for a while, but I ended up getting lost in the woods," she said.

Tucker raised his eyebrows. "Wait a second! You're admitting you got lost in the woods!?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and if you tell anyone, you'll find all your precious PDAs given to Klemper," she said with a smirk.

Tucker's eyes widened and he clutched his device prospectively. "You wouldn't..."

Sam smiled evilly. "You know I would," she said.

"You monster," Tucker muttered before whispering soothing phrases to his electronic. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of Klemper, how's the ghost activity around town?" She asked.

Tucker stopped talking to his "baby." "It's actually been pretty quiet. The box ghost got out a couple times, but Valerie chased him back to the ghost zone in no time," he said.

Sam nodded. "And the Fentons' kid?"

Tucker shook his head. "No changes." Sam sighed. The Fenton kid was a mystery to much of the school. When he was little, something happened that sent him into a coma. Nobody knew what he looked like or what his name was because of this. The hospital wouldn't even let anyone besides his family come to visit him. The Fentons were good friends of Tucker and Sam, always letting them borrow weapons for ghost fighting, but when the two mentioned the boy, the family holed up and stopped talking.

Sam shook her head. "Anyways, I need you to look up something," Sam said. She heard the clacking of keys and a couple clicks of a mouse.

"All right. What do you need?"

"Look up 'the spirits of the Deep Forest'," she said.

Tucker blinked. "Why would you want me to..." He trailed off. "Sam, what happened?"

She waved her hand in an I'll-tell-you-later manner. "Look it up first, and then I'll talk."

Tucker grumbled a couple things under his breath and started typing. After a couple of antagonizing slow minutes, at least to Sam they were, Tucker found something. "Ok, it says here that the spirits are pretty much the equivalent to our ghosts except they tend to stay in their forests. There's not really much on it. They tend to harm any people that stay in the forest for too long. Most people have managed to get out before that, but some were not so lucky," he said scrolling through the article.

Sam scrunched her eyebrows together in thought. "Does it have anything about a boy in a ninja outfit?"

Tucker raised his eyebrows. "Why?" She glared.

He put his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok, don't kill me!" He scrolled some more. "Um, yeah. It does actually say something about that. About 9 years ago a small boy was seen running through the forest seemingly playing tag with a couple of the spirits. A few years later the same boy but a little grown was practicing swordplay. In more recent times, the boy is dressed in a ninja suit and there are several accounts of the boy leading lost travelers out of the woods before the spirits can get them," Tucker read. "Wait... when you got lost did you meet him?" Sam sighed and nodded. Tucker leaned forward. "What was he like?" He asked curiously.

Sam thought back to that short time she was with the mysterious boy. "He was kinda cold. He knew I was there the whole time, but he didn't help until the spirits were ready to do something to me. He had more of a the-only-reason-I'm-saving-you-is-because-I-don't-want-to-listen-to-your-screams-as-the-spirits-rip-you-to-pieces type of attitude," she said.

Tucker blinked. "So he spoke to you." Sam nodded. "English?" Another nod, and Sam noticed something. She was in Japan, yet the boy had spoken with a flawless American accent.

"How could he have spoken English if he's lived in Japan as long as that site says?" She asked the techno geek. More scrolling.

"Spirits can learn a language after hearing if for a bit. I guess if you were talking while in that forest he picked up on English," he said. Sam nodded. It made sense. Then Tucker's mom called from off screen. "Hey Sam, I gotta go. Mom's made meatloaf!" he disappeared from the screen.

Sam gagged. "How he can eat that trash is unknown to me," she mumbled. She changed into some pajamas and climbed into her bed. She let her mind slip towards the mysterious boy she had met. 'Just who are you?' she wondered before drifting off to sleep.

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><p>The morning met Sam with overly bright light and overly cheerful parents. She pulled the covers over her head and grumbled to herself, "I'm a creature of the night forever doomed to a family of morning people."<p>

"Sammy-kins! Time to get up now!" her mother cheered ripping the covers from Sam's grip. Despite being a pansy, her mom had some strong arms from doing this every morning of Sam's life. Sam groaned. She slowly sat up.

"What?" she growled. Her mother held up a monstrosity of pink ribbons and frills. "Time to get ready! We're going shopping today!" she cheered. Sam cringed at he thought.

"Uhhh….no." She took out a pair of scissors and a can of black spray paint and did a "little" bit of "remodeling" to the dress. Very soon, she was met with something that fit her tastes quite well. Her mom made a face. Sam smiled proudly. They stood in a glare-off for about three minutes before her mom backed down and stormed out of the room. Sam watched smugly. Looks like she got out of shopping. She climbed out of bed and pulled on her average outfit. Grabbing an apple on her way out, she headed off to the woods. She was going to figure out who that boy was, even if it meant getting lost again.

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><p><strong>Well there you go! Tell me what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! Thank you guys so much for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! You people are great!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Nope. Nu-uh. No way.**

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><p>Sam trudged through the forest keeping a wary eye out for any spirits. After learning that they were much like Amity's ghosts, she brought a wrist ray which was strapped in its respective spot. Other than that she was equipped with a backpack filled with a water bottle, some snacks, and a Fenton thermos just in case.<p>

She sighed as she reached the clearing she had been in the night before. She sat down and pulled off her bag. Opening it, she pulled out the water bottle and took a couple gulps of its contents before returning it to the bag.

"You came back," a voice said from behind her.

Out of pure reflex, she fired an ecto-beam at its source. The person ducked and the beam missed by a couple inches. It was the boy.

"Geez," he muttered. "Are you always going to aim something at my head?"

Sam blinked. "No," she said quickly. He gave her a pointed look and she glared at him. "And anyways, of course I came back. I didn't get to thank you for last night," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem like the type to thank someone. You sure you weren't just curious?" he asked after giving her a once over. She crossed her arms and said nothing. The boy rolled his eyes. "Thought so." He turned and started walking deeper into the forest.

Sam ran after him. "Wait! Just who the heck are you?" she yelled. The boy mumbled a reply but she couldn't make it out because of the cloth covering his face. "What was that? I couldn't tell because of that stupid cloth."

He gave her a small glare. "Why are you following me?" he asked completely ignoring her last statement which seemed to be a habit of his.

She answered anyways. "I was curious. You said it yourself," she stated.

The boy gave a satisfied smirk and veered off in another direction. "Follow me then," he called before taking off into a run.

Sam's eyes widened before she quickly took off after him. "Where are you taking me?!" she yelled. _'Gosh, why am I doing this? He could be leading me into a trap for all I know… Still I have to find out who he is,'_ Sam thought as she followed the boy.

He twisted through the trees and bounded over a couple brooks. Soon he slowed to a stop. Sam caught up to him barely struggling for breath. Thank you ghost fighting! She looked around her. "Whoa…" was all she managed to get out.

It was a clearing. The trees were tall and healthy and a beautiful waterfall tumbled off the rocks forming a sparkling river. The sun shone bright and the grass was soft and green. She didn't think a place like this existed in the forest.

The boy beside her nodded.

She looked at him. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked.

The boy sat down on one of the boulders by the river. "Because you were curious enough to come back, even though you very well knew that the spirits could get mad and eat you. You deserved something for that," he said looking out over the water.

She blinked. For one so cold at first glance, he was actually kind of nice. She sat down beside him. "So, do you plan on telling me your name after all this? I couldn't hear it the first time because of that cloth. Here just let me…" She reached up to untie the cloth but the boy flinched away from her hands.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled. She just stared her hands hovering in the same place they had been when he pulled away.

Slowly she put them down. "Geez, no need to yell. If you wanted to keep the dang cloth on that much you could have just said so," she muttered.

The boy took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "No, it's not that. It's just…" He took a breath. "I can't touch a human."

It took a moment for that to register in Sam's brain. "Wait, what?"

He sighed. "I can't touch a human," he repeated.

She stared at him. "Why?"

"Because I'll disappear."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey I'm back! *dodges multiple sharp objects being thrown my way* I'm sorry I haven't updated! Please don't kill me! I wrote this chapter a while ago but it sounds like crap to me so I didn't post it... But I can't think of anything else so here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I will never own DP. Wish I did. But I don't.**

**P.S.: Azorawing: SHHHHHHHHHHH! I don't know what you're talking about! *laughs nervously***

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><p>"Wh- what?" Sam muttered shocked by the information.<p>

The boy kicked at a small stone before he started talking. "When I was little, I just kinda appeared in the forest with no reason whatsoever. I had no idea where I was or anything really. Some spirits took me in and said that they would allow me to live here if I made them a promise. An oath in some ways… I would be able to stay here, live for as long as I want, grow old only if I want to, and the spirits would train me to fight if I never touched a human. It seemed like a pretty sweet deal. I was practically offered a dream life on a plate and all I had to do was not touch anybody. Didn't seem so hard at the time considering no one ever really came into the forest anyways. So I took the oath," he said leaning back on his hands. He stared at the sky as a couple of birds played tag in the wind.

"But it's gotten harder. More people have ventured into the forest. A lot of them wanting to tear it down for hotels or some other piece of crap. A lot of spirits became a lot more violent because of this and they began attacking humans. Ripping them to shreds and eating their souls. I hated that. So anybody who seemed like they weren't going to hurt the forest, I led to safety if they didn't look like they were going to leave in time. But by doing so, a lot of people have been around me. And I couldn't touch a single one of them. Even when they lost their path and the spirits found them. I wanted so much just to reach out and pull them out of the forest, but I can't. If I do, I'll fade…" The boy trailed off no longer looking at the sky but at the ground.

He chuckled a bit. "I don't even know why I just told you all of that. But, man, that felt good to say," he said.

Sam stared at the boy. He couldn't touch another human being. She took in his appearance once more. But he looked like a teenage boy no older than she was! "But, aren't you human?" she asked.

Slowly the boy shook his head.

"But you look human!"

"Well, I'm not. Get over it." She huffed. They sat in silence for a while before the boy spoke.

"So, what's your name?" he asked.

She blinked. "I haven't told you my name?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope."

"Well, it's Sam. Sam Manson. Do you mind telling me yours now?" she said.

He looked at her. "I've already told you," he said.

She threw her hands in the air. "Are you deaf or something? I keep telling you that I can't hear your name because of that stickin' cloth!" She sighed and crossed her arms.

"It's Danny. Danny Phantom." His voice was a lot clearer now.

Sam turned to find that not only had he removed the cloth but his hat as well. They both hung loosely around his neck. His eyes shone a brilliant green and his snow white hair was tousled and a bit messy.

She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Danny," she said refraining from holding out her hand for a handshake.

Danny smiled too. His teeth sparkled in the sun.

"Nice to meet you too… Sam."

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><p><strong>There it is folks! I still think it sucks though... Anyways hope you liked it!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Heheheh... hey? Sorry it took so long to update... School started up and I barely have anytime to write anymore... I'll post when I can. So here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Dude, I wish I owned Danny Phantom.**

Sam found herself visiting the forest more and more often. Surprisingly she didn't find Danny's presence annoying like she did most other people. Heck even Tucker would get on her very last nerve! But Danny was just… well Danny.

Ever since he'd removed his hat and mouth cloth, they'd stayed around his neck making it easier for them to talk and understand each other. She told him about her home, her life, and her parents. He didn't judge her from her sense of style or food and he never made fun of her for anything she had done. It was truly amazing how quickly this spirit had earned her trust. She even looked forward to her daily visits to the forest where he would always be waiting in that clearing where they first met with a new adventure planned or a new place to explore, and usually they were amazing. Then they would hang out for the rest of the morning and around noon have lunch. After that they would hang out until Sam had to go home despite her hate for her parents.

Surprisingly lunch always struck her as one of the more memorable or relaxed times of the day. The two would sit down by the waterfall and split whatever food Sam had brought with her. Usually, Danny would go out and catch his food and cook it over a fire, but Sam wasn't too pleased with the idea. Especially since it was meat. Sure Danny was able to find edible plants and stuff to make a salad but the boy didn't seem as hyped up about the idea as her. So, they compromised. Sam bought a lunch in town – one ultra-recyclo vegetarian meal for her and one normal meal for Danny.

She found the childlike happiness that appeared on Danny's face when he tried food from town amusing and (not that she'd ever admit it to anybody) kind of adorable. When Danny tries something new, he looks like a kid opening up a present on Christmas morning or a kid trying a freshly made cookie for the first time. It was strange to think this teenage (or at least in terms of looks) boy had never had food like this. He had never had ice cream, never had pizza, and never had a hamburger with fries and a soda. He had never had anything of the sort. And now he's finally getting a chance at it all.

Speaking of lunch and Danny trying new things, that is exactly what the pair was about to start. The two were seated on the bank and Sam was pulling today's food out of her bag. Burgers. Sam had her usual tofu burger while she had ordered a cheeseburger for Danny. She passed the food to the boy careful not to make physical contact. He took it with a slightly confused face.

"Uh, Sam? What is this?" he asked slowly taking off the wrapping leaving the burger in all its glory sitting on his lap. Sam had just taken a bite of her own burger when he had asked that.

Swallowing she answered, "It's a cheeseburger. It's good. And it's not going to attack you so quit staring at it like that," she said referring to the way the spirit was warily regarding it. Hesitantly, Danny picked up the burger and took a bite. Sam waited for the reaction and she didn't have to wait long. His eyes widened and lit up with childlike delight.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!"

Danny devoured the poor food at an inhuman (pun totally intended) rate. Sam watched slightly amused and disturbed at how fast the thing disappeared. Danny let out a sigh and leaned back on his hands. "That was delicious. Can you bring it again tomorrow?" he asked looking at her with puppy dog eyes. She nodded off finishing off the last of her food.

"Yes!" Danny cheered fist pumping the air. Sam laughed at his antics. He smiled at her. Once her laughter subsided the two sat in a comfortable silence. Danny lay down on the grass and stared up at the sky. Sam looked over at him.

If she didn't know better, she really would have thought he was a normal kid. Albeit one who thought Halloween came early, but still an average kid. He looked like any other normal teen but really, he was anything but. Was he even a teen? She'd never actually thought to ask.

"Hey Danny?"

"Hm?"

"How old are you?" she asked.

Danny's eyebrows creased in thought. He stayed that way for a moment before answering, "I don't know. How old do I look?"

Sam studied him for a moment. "14. You look 14," she stated.

He propped himself up on his elbows and turned to look at her. "What makes you say that?" he asked.

She looked the other direction trying to focus on anything but him. "Well… Because that's how old I am..."

Danny smiled and lay back down. "Ok. 14 it is," he said and Sam found herself smiling softly at the spirit's accepting of his new age.


	6. Chapter 6

**Heheheheheheheh… Don't kill me? *dodges sharp objects* Welp… I really do have a reason for disappearing! I swear! The second semester turns out to be the busiest time of school so I've had competitions, concerts, tests, musicals, and school itself taking up pretty much every second of free time I have! I'm on spring break right now so I'm trying to update a bit. So after this long wait, here ya go!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't think I'll ever own it.**

The sword sliced through the air as Danny went through the basic stances. The routine of basic stances slowly became a deadly dance of advanced techniques. It had been a while since he had trained with his blade and with Sam out shopping with her parents, he had nothing to do. It was during his training, that he heard a noise. He froze, alert. Subconsciously, he slipped into a battle position prepared for any sort of oncoming attack.

"Daniel?"

The voice sounded through the clearing where the young spirit was training. It was deep and it held a somewhat calming factor to the teen. Danny stopped and dropped his stance having recognized the voice. He turned with a smile wiping some of the sweat from his brow.

"Clockwork! What brings you here?" he asked sheathing his blade. Clockwork floated out from the shadows of the trees. He was in his middle aged form, staff in hand. His dark hooded cloak looked like it would be hot in the summer weather but the master of time seemed unaffected.

"I hear you have befriended a human," Clockwork said moving to sit on one of the larger rocks at the edge of the clearing. He motioned for Danny to sit beside him. "Tell me about her."

Danny nodded and sat by his mentor sitting cross legged. He knew Clockwork probably had no need to actually hear anything as he already knew everything. There had to be another reason he was here but if the elder wanted to know about Sam, he might as well go ahead and tell.

Danny began his explanation with their meeting. He had been training much like he was no less than a couple minutes ago when he had felt a human presence wandering around the woods. He recounted how he thought Sam was an idiot for not finding the exit even when it was so close by. He watched her try to start a fire and rolled his eyes before revealing himself. After dodging a well-aimed rock, he led her out. He then continued with all the adventures the two have shared afterwards.

Clockwork stayed quiet through the entire explanation. He listened with a contemplating look occasionally laughing and nodding to show that he was listening to the boy's tale. When Danny had finished, he turned to the boy and was almost taken back by the look on the boy.

Danny was looking at the ground with a small smile. His emerald eyes shone with a light that Clockwork didn't think he had ever seen before. His mouth piece and hat still hung around his neck allowing his full face to be seen. The sun reflected off the snowlike hair creating what looked like a small halo. He almost looked… alive.

"What do you think about her?" the master of time asked quietly. He was almost worried about the answer. If it was what he thought it was, he wasn't sure if he would be able to protect the boy any longer.

"What do I think of Sam?" Danny repeated trying to come up with the words. He shifted his position to lean back on his hands, looking up at the sky. "She's amazing. She's definitely not like any of the village girls that came and get lost in here." He smiled. "She's not afraid of who I am or what could happen if any of the violent spirits found her. She acts differently than anybody I've met too. She's tough and isn't really afraid to speak her mind. She's also not afraid to tell you you're doing something stupid."

Clockwork sighed and nodded. It was just as he had thought and he wasn't sure if he wanted to change this outcome. He had seen the possible routes this could take and he had seen the happiness that the two brought to each other. However, like all happiness, it would come to an end. The summer would pass and Sam would find her way home. She would grow up and Danny would be left behind… And that was only one of the possibilities. Clockwork didn't want to think about the other.

"I see…"

"Clockwork, why did you come visit me? Surely you didn't want to just hear me tell something you already know," Danny said looking towards the ghost. The cloaked spirit shifted into an old man before he delivered his true reason.

"A warning. Remember, this girl is a human. If she touches you, you will disappear. We can only protect you from human touch if you stay away from humans yourself. You have invited her here. We can't protect you from her if you continue like this. Be careful Daniel."

Danny's eyebrows creased. Something hadn't added up about this warning.

"Wait! Is something going to happen? You would have just left us alone if nothing was going to happen. There would be no reason to warn me! Is Sam going to do something?" he asked suddenly worried. He didn't want to accept it. He didn't want to believe it. Sam was probably the best thing that had happened to him since he arrived in the forest all those years ago. She couldn't be the reason something goes wrong!

Clockwork said nothing. He pushed himself off of the rock and turned to face the distraught boy. His gaze was emotionless though Danny was sure he could see a hint of sorrow hidden in his mentor's red eyes.

"I'm sorry Daniel…"

And with that, the ghost of time was gone. Danny stared at the place where Clockwork had been unable to move. He knew what that meant and he knew that he would have to make a choice. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.

He didn't want to choose. He couldn't. How could he? Sam was his first friend, the first person he was able to joke around with like a normal person. She was the first person that had come back for honest reasons. She was the only person he could be himself around…

He thought back on his life. He had spent years peeking out through the leaves of the forest at the village. He saw the other kids that had played around in the meadow, the watchful parents, and the groups of teens. He saw them living a life he knew he never could have. In the beginning, Danny didn't care. He had powers. Who needed that type of boring life when you could do all the things he could? But as time went on, the powers lost their appeal and the company of the spirits became boring.

There wasn't anyone in the forest that was his mental age. He had no one to call a friend. His visits to the edge of the woods became more frequent as he wished for the company of the people beyond the boundaries. Danny wanted to have friends like the ones he watched every day.

That became the reason he rescued the people who entered the woods. It started with curious children and as more people became interested in the creatures of the wood, he began leading a number of different people. Even though he couldn't touch them or get to close, the small moments of human connection he had seemed to ease his loneliness for a while. The only problem was that once they left the gates, he rarely ever saw them again and their connection was severed.

Maybe that's why he had been so quick to warm up to Sam. She had come back the very next day even though he hadn't been the best company. She didn't want to use the forest and she seemed to want to know more about him. Not the forest. Him. When she started coming back, he couldn't deny his growing happiness. She had given him a friend to have fun with. She had fulfilled the one wish that couldn't be granted through his oath.

Danny's fists clenched as he tried to keep his emotions in check. He squeezed his eyes shut as his tears threatened to fall. His hands began to glow with a spectral energy and he shot an ectobeam at a nearby tree. It went up in flames.

How…? How was he supposed to choose between living and Sam?


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, you guys haven't killed me yet and I'm still on spring break! Here's another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Do I even have to do this thing anymore? I don't own Danny Phantom.**

Sam groaned as she was dragged along by her mother. This couldn't get any worse. She was having to shop instead of exploring some new section of the woods with Danny. She suppressed a groan, head dropping. She hated this with all of her hate…*

Her mother spotted some shop and Sam's eyes widened at the sight of it. Was it possible for some place to have so much pink? It couldn't be legal. Her mother started in and Sam pried herself from the iron girl and took off. She was _not _going in there.

Sam ran as far as her legs would take her. When she slowed to a stop, she took a look around her and quickly found that she had no idea where she was. Just freaking lovely… The buildings were simple so she should be on the outskirts of town. The thing that caught her eye was a group of people gathering around what seemed to be a tour guide.

The group was decked out in black, white, and green, a color scheme that she had grown very familiar with. Her curiosity took over her and she wondered near. She tapped one of the people on the shoulder and the man turned. She stared at the shirt. How could she not?

It was a drawing of Danny, and a very good one at that. The only thing was they captured the cold aura of their first meeting. He seemed to be an enigma. His face was covered and his hat obscured his neon eyes. His blade was held in front of him and he looked ready for battle.

"U-um… Could you tell me what's going on?" Sam asked in Japanese once she was able to pry her eyes from the shirt. She had learned the language for pure fun a little more than a year ago. It had sure come in handy on this trip. The man smiled at her.

"We're all going into the woods to go and try to see this mysterious ghost boy. I've always wanted to meet him," the man said. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh," she said skeptically. Danny wouldn't get near a group of people this big. It was way too dangerous. "But aren't there vicious spirits in there?"

The man nodded but the smile didn't leave his face. It unnerved her. This entire group kind of gave her a bad feeling. If they were all going into the woods at the same time, the spirits would be a lot quicker to be angered and Danny couldn't lead a group of fans out of the woods so easily. They would want pictures, autographs! She could tell by the pads of paper and cameras. They wouldn't be so quick to leave if he showed up.

"Yes, but the spirit boy leads people out of the forest. If we get lost, he would lead us out before the spirit gets us!"

Sam sighed realizing that this was a pointless conversation. She wasn't going to be able to convince these people that it wasn't a good idea and she was going to get nowhere if she tried. With a small thank you, she left the obsessed man and walked seemingly into the village. Though, once out of sight of the group she bolted in the direction of the Deep Forest.

She had to warn Danny…

_(-)_

Danny took a shuddering breath inwards. He had to get a hold of himself. He wouldn't be able to choose if he just sat there in a crying mess. He had to clear his head. Standing, he unsheathed his sword with the intention of doing some more training. That had always been the best way for him to focus of a situation. Something about the familiar movements always seemed to put him at ease.

It was then a shift occurred in the peaceful atmosphere of the forest. He froze suddenly fully aware of his surroundings. Something was happening. The spirits had grown immediately restless. There was a dull hum in the air that could only be felt by those accustomed to spiritual energy. Yet with this hum there was an underlying tone of hostility. He had felt it before though it had never appeared so quickly and with such intensity.

Humans. It had to be. And not only that, it was a group of them. A rather large one as told by the tenseness he had begun to feel.

His throat went dry. Why were so many of them here? Sure small groups of maybe three or four have entered before but this had to be at least ten people. There was nothing that could be found in the woods that was any benefit to humans. If anything, only harm and death came from entering the forest. So why were they here?

Danny tugged his mouthpiece over his face and pulled his hat on. He kept the brim low so his entire face was covered in shadow. He kept his sword out knowing that if such a large group was in the forest at one time it was almost always fatal for him.

He jumped up, moving through the trees as he felt the human aura grow. No. He wouldn't fly. He couldn't afford to take the risk of wasting energy he could be using for a battle that may soon arise. He kept running.

On his way towards the human group, he passed his usual meeting spot with Sam. He hadn't planned to skid to a stop but the minute he saw the raven haired girl he couldn't help it. His earlier dilemma was far from his mind and the only thing Danny could focus on was that his friend looked worried. Scared even.

The spirit dropped from the trees and Sam resisted the urge to grab him by his shoulders to show how serious this situation was. She noticed how his barriers had been thrown back up through how he hid his face once more. It was from that that she knew the group had entered the spirits' territory.

"Sam! What are you doing here? I thought you were with your parents," Danny said worried. Sam looked out of breath, like she had ran here from a far distance. The fearful look on her face also sent a wave of unease though him.

"D-Danny…" Sam stuttered though breaths. "There's a tourist group here… They… They are looking for you."

Danny froze taking a staggered step back shocked.

"What?!"

***If you get this, I love you.**

**I'm so sorry this one was so short! I wasn't sure how to set up this idea I had and this is what came from it. I couldn't really figure out what to make it longer without putting too much in one chapter. That and I wanted to get something else out before spring break ends so, again, I'm sorry. I will try to make the next couple chapters a bit longer.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Guess who's finally on summer vacation! So this means I'll have a bit more time to write so you should be getting chapters a little quicker than usual. I'm sorry I had to leave you guys hanging like that but the end of the school year is extremely hectic.**

**As for the reference: Shoutouts to Guest and Rune for getting it! It was from Yugioh: The Abridged Series.**

**Disclaimer: Is there even a need for this thing anymore?**

Danny stared at Sam, brain trying to process what she had said. Tourists, those foreign people that visited the village every so often, had traversed into the forest to see him?! If they knew about him, then they must know about the dangers of entering, so why had they come? How did they know about him?

Sam resisted the urge to grab the spirit by the shoulders and force him to calm down. Sure, panicking was completely reasonable but if they didn't do something, those people were going to be eaten by a bunch of annoyed spirits.

"People are here looking for you Danny. Someone you saved at some point must have gone back to the village and told people about you, over the internet, by word of mouth, who really cares. What matters now is that they are here," Sam said trying to calm the boy down. It seemed to work as he took a breath and tried to focus.

"Sam, the spirits are angry. They have managed to tolerate you coming everyday but that was only after a week or so. A group that big has got them anxious and ticked. They need to get out and get out fast," he said a worried look shining in his emerald eyes. He knew what humans were like, if they met someone they wanted to see they would want pictures, handshakes, souvenirs! He couldn't give those. He would disappear if he tried!

Sam growled realizing how short their time was. "We need to act fast. I can try to convince them but people are thick headed. They probably won't leave until you show up."

It was Danny's turn to growl. He could sense the group moving deeper into the woods and the deeper they got, the more restless the spirits of the forest became. It wouldn't be long until it was feeding time. He wracked his brain for some type of solution. There had to be something, anything that could solve this. He shook his head.

"We need to start moving. We'll have to come up with whatever we're going to do when we get there," he said with a sigh before lifting into the air. Flying was a lot faster than running and he had to take the risk of wasting this bit of energy. If he didn't he may not make it in time.

Sam nodded at him and they both took off. She followed Danny as he rushed ahead of her. Her mind was racing as she struggled to come up with a plan. She ran and ran until her stamina ran out. She stopped breathing heavily. Danny continued ahead without her. She didn't blame him. He had people to save, but she couldn't deny the sense of loneliness that appeared when he disappeared from sight. She leaned against a tree to regain her strength. She was going to help him. In some way or another, she would help.

_(-)_

Danny zipped through the trees, knowing the layout of the forest like the back of his hand. It wasn't long until the loud chattering of excited people otherwise known as the biggest problem that had shown up in the forest in a long while. He stopped just out of the line of sight of all the people.

He had to come up with something. He had noticed the faint outlines of hostile spirits slowly gathering around the group and he now realized just how little time he had left to save these people. He growled and acted without thinking. He shot into the sky above the group. He was high enough so that they wouldn't touch him, but he was low enough so that he wasn't stuck up in the tops of the trees.

"Hey!" Danny shouted earning the shocked gazes of the people below. The minute recognition set in, an explosion of shouts and picture clicks sounded. Danny shielded his eyes from the blinding flashes of the cameras.

"Oh my gosh! Look!"

"That's Invisabill!"

"It's really him!"

"Can I have your autograph?"

"Marry me!"

Danny only caught a couple phrases of the chaos of noise and he was not pleased with what they were saying. Well, not pleased and slightly disturbed.

"First off! Invisabill? Who the heck came up with that!? Second, um no sorry. I will not marry you. Third, you guys really need to get out of here. The spirits are not in a good mood and they are quite ready for a snack," he said and it seemed the crowd didn't hear him. They just stared up at him like he was a god. He growled. Well that didn't work…

"Look guys! You can't stay here! You have to leave! Now!"

Still nothing. If anything, the excited chatter grew louder and Danny noticed the spirits below him closing in on the black, white, and green group. For once, he didn't actually blame them. These people were annoying as heck. He chewed his lip trying to gain some type of idea. One came to mind, though it was extremely risky.

He lowered himself slightly almost within touching distance. A few more inches and the people would be able to touch his boots if they jumped. He shot them a charming smile and a wink before racing in the direction of the edge of the woods. Just as he thought, the group screamed and followed, demanding autographs and pictures. He let out a breath. Good.

He flew on like that for a bit before he noticed the group beginning to tire. Worse, the spirits were on their tails. He did something stupid. He dropped to the ground and started running. It was slower and when the group noticed this and the fact that if they caught him, they would be able to touch him, they sped up.

He gulped and continued on. When he noticed Sam in the distance, his eyes lit up.

"Sam! The spirits are right behind us! Get rid of them!" he ordered. The girl nodded and pulled an ecto gun from her bag. It wouldn't permanently hurt the spirits but it should slow them down enough to allow Danny to get these people out. She took a battle stance and Danny was thankful to have a friend that was willing to face a horde of angry spirits. As he passed, they exchanged smiles despite the tenseness of the situation.

"Be careful." The statement was soft and almost unheard over the roar of footsteps crushing leaves and twigs and the screams of the people behind him, but Danny picked it up clear as day. He nodded to her and continued running. A few seconds later, he heard the gun being fired and he smile. Good old Sam.

After a while more, he saw the edge of the woods and he shot into the air again. The group was still hot on his heels and he only had a few seconds to decide how he was going to get them out of the woods without leaving the woods himself. Sure he could leave, but he wouldn't be able to protect himself from being touched outside the comfort of the trees. He had to think fast because the group had stopped below him and Sam couldn't hold off the spirits for much longer.

**Well that's that. I have a request from you guys. I need OCs for my next DP fanfic. I'm bad at creating them so I'm willing to take OCs from you guys if you'd let me use them. I won't tell you much about what the story is about but I will say that people will die. So unless you are willing to risk your OC dying in this story, don't tell me about them. Here's what I need.**

**Name:**

**Age: (Must be ages 14-16)**

**Appearance: (Both physical and clothing)**

**Personality:**

**What you think they'd do in a panicked situation:**

**Just put it in the comments or feel free to PM it to me if you wish to contribute.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well…. Um… I hit a bit of a writer's block as I couldn't decide what to do next with this. So there was that and I couldn't access a computer for around two weeks so yeah… Hope this works for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Danny's mind raced as he observed the situation from above. To his left was the field separating the village from the forest. To his right, he saw the flashes of emerald that were growing fewer by the second. He didn't have much time until the spirits began slipping past Sam. Below him was a screaming horde of fans that didn't seem like they wanted to move an inch unless he did. He was stuck.

As he looked down to the people, he was temporarily blinded by the camera lights and he shielded his eyes with his arm. He flew to the left and they followed, the ones nearest to the edge stepping out of the treeline. He flew back to the right and they continued to follow back into the trees. What he had to do was clear. He had to get them out and lose them at the same time. Problem was, he wouldn't be able to lose them in that field and there was no way he would lead them back into the woods. That only left the town.

Danny gulped quietly as the idea formed. It was incredibly risky but he saw no other choice. It was either he suffer the large chance of dying or all these innocent people get eaten in quite a brutal manner. He looked back to his right and saw that the green flashes had stopped. He had to move. Now!

"Hey guys! Who wants free souvenirs?" he called to the people below. A series of cheers was his response. He nodded to himself.

"Right… Of course you do… Well, here goes nothing…" he murmured quietly as he flew from the safe cover of the trees out into the open air. The fans followed him just as he had hoped. He continued to race though he dropped to foot once more. Once in town, if he was flying and vanished, they would automatically assume he went back into the woods and go back there. If he was on foot, he could lose them in the maze of streets and they would assume he was somewhere in the labyrinth of buildings.

Nearing the village, his heart began to race. Danny would never actually admit it to anyone, except maybe Clockwork, but he was terrified. He didn't want to die yet. There was so much he still had to do. He hadn't figured all of that out yet, but he knew there had to be some purpose for his existence. If he got touched now, that would be the end of him.

He entered the town's boundaries and was almost overwhelmed with panic as he saw the many people that were out and about. His eyes darted around as he tried to find a clear path through the crowds as he didn't even want to risk trying to weave his way through it all. Seeing one, he quickly ran adjusting his pace and direction with each person that moved.

His fan club was still hot on his heels though they were slowed by the people that milled about, clogging up the roads. They didn't have his reflexes or his speed needed to get through and stay right on his heels. Danny breathed a small sigh of relief as the distance between his main threat and him grew.

It was then a corner appeared in the edges of his peripheral vision. It was empty for now but he could saw the rush of people that was about to enter. Danny turned sharply, darting around the corner into the street and out of his fans line of vision. He took the opportunity and went invisible before anyone else spotted him. He then began scooting along the wall back to where he had entered as the walls remained almost empty of any human life. He did so just in time because the tourist group quickly rounded the corner just as he was leaving. His back went slightly intangible as he stepped halfway into the wall to escape being brushed as they passed. Once they did, he moved quickly trying to remember the ways that he had ran.

Luck didn't seem to be on his side however as all the streets looked the same to him. This was the first time he had ever even been in a human town. He didn't know the way things looked or which way was what. He was completely lost and it wasn't long until he found himself at a dead end.

A series of curses shot through his mind as he spun on his heels only to freeze. Backing down the alleyway was a group of his fans. It was only a small portion of them though as the main group seemed to have split up in order to find him more quickly. He looked down at himself thankful to find that he was still invisible. The ghost boy then looked back up to find the group had spread to block the exit.

Danny took a stumbling step backwards trying to remain as quiet as possible though his breathing was beginning to grow louder with each step they took. His heart raced as he tried to calm himself down enough to focus on the world around him. He had to find a way out and soon. His back hit the brick wall. His eyes widened and a small 'oof' had escaped his mouth upon impact. With the small pieces of rock that became dislodged when he hit the wall, the fans had enough noise to realize that there was someone there in front of them.

Their pace quickened excitedly and one stuck out a hand. Danny melted into the wall hoping to find sanctuary on the other side to find a thriving arcade with kids, teens, and parents covering ever bit of floor. He wouldn't find an escape in there. He turned his head back to face the fans outside and saw that they were now dangerously close. The wall wasn't thick enough for him to hide his full body in it and there was no way he could just hide on the other side. He was trapped.

The hand neared him with the excited fan watching curiously for any signs of something there. It was only inches away from brushing his chest but that would be all he needed to break his contract. He squeezed an eye shut keeping the other at an almost pained half squint as he watched the hand steadily grow closer. Inches… Centimeters… Millimeters away from his body. There didn't seem to be a way to get out of this one. He was going to vanish here without being able to say all the things he wished to say or do the things he wanted to do.

'_I'm sorry Sam… I guess we won't be able to go exploring again…'_

The albino ghost boy had resigned to his fate and his eyes slipped close. Briefly it crossed his mind that he didn't know how it would feel like. Would it be peaceful and she would just slip away much like a person in their sleep or would it be painful like his entire being was being torn from existence molecule by molecule. These seemed to be his thoughts as the hand was only a paper's width away from him.

"Hey guys! I found Invisobil! I saw him run this way!"

The voice was sudden but loud and clear. The hand stopped and dropped quickly as the fans turned on their heels and followed the sound of the shout. Danny's eyes snapped open at the sudden exclamation. He knew that voice and he knew it well. A smile grew on his face and he let out the breath of relief that he had been holding in.

While he had the chance, Danny stepped out of the wall and looked around for an exit. He didn't want to face the streets again and the buildings around him were out of the question. When his gaze landed on the sky, he about slapped himself for being so stupid. '_Duh. Ghost powers Danny. You can fly remember?' _He thought to himself. It was at that moment, he realized he could have just flown to safety when he made that first turn. He shook his head and took to the skies.

Below him, he saw fans following a familiar raven haired girl as she shouted out nonsense about finding "Invisobil." A large smile formed on his face. '_Good old Sam.' _She always seemed to turn up at the point he needed her most. How she knew when he was in danger was absolutely beyond him but at the moment, he didn't care. He flew back to the sanctuary of his woods and tried to find a way to keep something like this from ever happening again.

**Well, that's that. I apologize for it being so short and the wait but I had been stuck for a really long time and my family doesn't like sitting around at the house so my writing time has been very limited. Hope this was to your liking!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welp, I've been a little distracted lately with another story of mine so it took me a little while to actually come back to this one. Sorry! Here's the newest chapter! Happy 4****th**** of July!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

It had been a little more than a week since the incident with the tourists. Much to Danny's delight, Sam had managed to convince them not to return to the forest. When he had asked her how she had managed to accomplish such a miracle, she just motioned to a large bag filled with memorabilia, journals, art, t shirts, and other such items. In answer to his confused look, she simply handed him a sharpie and his face dropped. It took him over five hours to sign everything by that accursed name and he swore that if he even heard the word Invisobil one more time, that person was going to get an ectobeam to the face.

At this time, he and Sam were having a race to see who could reach the top of the tallest tree in the forest fastest. He wasn't allowed to fly or use any sort of powers according to Sam and he was completely fine by that. It was more fun when the odds were even. At least he thought they were even until he reached the top while she was still about halfway up. He laughed realizing he had the unfair advantage of both extra speed and experience climbing this tree. A nervous laugh escaped him as he slowly let go and floated down to her level.

"Guess I won that one," he said with a small smile. Sam glared at him as she pulled herself onto a rather large branch. She sat down and leaned against the tree to rest for a small moment.

"You little cheat," she muttered breathlessly. He let out a small chuckle and came to rest beside her just far enough so that they wouldn't touch. The distance was actually beginning to bother him though he didn't exactly know why. She looked over at him as she regained her breath.

Danny stared upwards as the sunlight glinted through the leaves of the tree they currently sat in. In the peacefulness of this moment, he let his mind drift to the thoughts that had haunted him for the past week. Most of the thoughts were not exactly positive.

The first was Clockwork's visit. The ghost of time had been one of Danny's closest friends since he had arrived in this forest so many years ago. The white haired spirit could almost say that the cloaked ghost had become a sort of father figure to him over the time. Danny trusted Clockwork but he wanted more than anything to not believe him this time. He didn't want to believe that staying with Sam would end up in his vanishing. Both the thought of staying away and vanishing scared him beyond belief.

Speaking of Sam, she was the other thing that plagued his thoughts. They had only known each other for a little over a month at this point and yet they seemed to be the best of friends. He didn't know why he had actually decided to talk to her when they first met. Most of the other times something like that had happened, he stayed silent and simply led the person back to the gate where he let them go on their marry way. It didn't go that way with Sam though. He had led her to the waterfall which had been his little safe haven ever since he had discovered it seven years ago. He had spilled his secret and told her his story. He had no idea why he had done such things. Something about Sam just made him want to have her around.

As the time went by, he had found himself opening up to Sam even more than he had to most of the spirits in the forest with him and Danny couldn't help but want to stay with her. The sad thing was, he knew he couldn't. He was pretty much an immortal spirit. She was a human, something he would never be able to even come in physical contact with. Human grew up. They grew old. They forgot. Summers don't last forever. Sam would have to leave him and even if she returned to the forest the summer after that and the summer after that and so on, she would grow older while he was left frozen in eternal youth. Eventually, he would probably become nothing more than a dream to her, an imaginary friend to get over summer blues. Then one day, she will leave this world… The thought scared him more than he would like to admit.

Next on his list was the village or mainly just humans in themselves. Danny had never known the human culture until Sam had come along. He had been forced to watch from a distance as he watched people his physical age run around and hang out with each other in the valley just outside the forest boundary. He watched from the sidelines as people went on with their lives, living happily together with that special someone. It wasn't until Sam had begun sharing the human culture with him that it made sense why humans did what they did. When he had visited the village, even though he had been running for his life, he saw what humans did and how they got to interact. He saw it all and in all honesty, he actually began to envy them. They lived a life he would never be able to have no matter how hard he tried or how much he wanted it…

The last and probably most depressing thought on his mind was the thought of vanishing. Ever since meeting Sam, the thought had been on his mind and after his close encounter in the village, the thought was a lot more prominent. Danny didn't know what would happen to him if he disappeared. Would it be a pit of nothingness or would something be waiting for him on the other side? Would it hurt or be painless? Would anybody actually care?

The questions that ran though his head were not unlike those of a human's when they think of death as for Danny, it was basically the same idea. One would never know until it happened and until that moment it would haunt the edges on the subconscious, slowly picking away at the person's sanity. There was no way to prove any specific concept and there was no way for one to even begin to think of what may lay on the other side. It made his head spin as he thought of it.

"….nny… Danny…. Danny!"

The boy jumped, almost falling off of the branch he rested on. Danny looked over to Sam who had a worried expression on her face. It was obvious she had been calling him for some time now. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked over to her sheepishly.

"Yeah?"

"You've been sitting there staring off into space for the past ten minutes," Sam stated after a quick check of her watch. She looked back to him lavender eyes shining. "Is something wrong?"

Danny blinked before quickly shaking his head forcing a smile on his face. He didn't want to worry her with his thoughts. "No. It's all fine. Just daydreaming," he said simply.

Sam raised an eyebrow that clearly showed that she didn't believe him but she said nothing letting the subject drop. Danny let out an inward sigh of relief. He watched as Sam slowly pushed herself into a standing position, holding onto the trunk of the tree for support, before beginning to climb upwards once more. Danny watched confused.

Before Danny could actually ask anything, Sam broke in. "I'm going to finish this thing whether you have already won or not."

Danny let out a small chuckle and floated off the branch to watch her carefully while pushing his thoughts away. He should have expected as much from her. He watched her climb up branch by branch a little worried that she would fall.

"Sam… Please be careful. I can't catch you if you fall," he warned as she pulled herself up even higher. She waved a dismissive hand at him as her combat boot found a sturdy foothold.

"I've got this. You don't need to worry," she said flashing him a small smile. He let out a sigh and continued to watch her carefully.

Sam climbed well and for a moment Danny thought that she would actually make it to the top. That was when she stepped on what looked to be a strong branch. It snapped under the weight and she began tumbling though the air. Danny's eyes widened and he immediately shot down after her, a hand outstretched to grab her. Sam saw this and let out a loud scream.

"Don't touch me!"

Danny froze and drew back his hand before reacting with his powers. He created an ectoplasmic net at the bottom which she fell into with a slight bounce and groan. He zipped down to float in front of her worry distorting his face.

Sam looked fine minus a couple cuts and bruises from hitting branches on the way down but at least she was alive and didn't break anything. However, she did seem to be bothered as her knees had been drawn up to her chest with her head laying on them. She looked as if she was trying to make herself seem as small as possible.

"Sam…?" Danny asked a little hesitantly reaching out to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder before quickly drawing it back.

"I want you to promise me something." The statement was quiet and muffled and Danny had barely caught it as it was being said. He nodded and Sam continued.

"Please… Don't ever touch me."

The request shocked him a lot more than it should have and he opened his mouth to say something. She cut in before any words were able to leave his mouth.

"I don't want to lose you… So promise me. You won't ever touch me…" Her words were soft and sincere. Sam looked up and he saw how much this actually meant to her in her eyes. Slowly he let out a sigh and nodded.

"I promise…"


	11. Chapter 11

**So school starts tomorrow and I wanted to give you guys one last chapter before my time is completely taken up by homework. Yay…. -.-' I also apologize for this chapter will be rather short as it really is just a set up for the upcoming chapter. Sorry.**

**On another note, this story is coming to a close rather quickly. After this chapter, I will only have one other and an epilogue. I am working on something else though. However, I won't upload it until I actually finish the story. That way I can just upload the chapters without you guys having to wait months for me to feel like writing. So, yeah. I guess that's a good thing, right?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Does that really need saying anymore?**

Summers don't last forever. The earth continues its orbit around the sun and the temperatures slowly cool. The leaves will eventually turn and the bell to school will sound its shrill. No, summers don't last forever meaning the adventure will slowly come to an end.

Sam and Danny were sitting by the waterfall just chatting. Around two weeks had passed since their promise never to touch and it showed by the distance between the two as they sat by the shore. They had done their exploring for that day and Sam was recounting some stories from her school days with Tucker. Danny was listening intently with intrigued eyes. He had never been to school or really had any friends before Sam so it was interesting to hear her talk about them.

Once Sam finished her story of a bird maiming Tucker's fingers as he tried to retrieve a PDA from its nest, the two shared a small laugh and fell into a comfortable silence. Both teens were lost in their thoughts as they stared at the water rushing by them. They knew summer was coming to a close. They knew it was bound to happen. They knew what would happen afterwards.

"I don't want to go back," Sam admitted quietly after a couple minutes of the silence. Danny looked up at the sky leaning back on his hands.

"I don't want you to leave."

His statement was honest and it floated in the air a couple moment before the words' meaning sunk into her mind. She offered a sad smile to Danny and he did the same back. The two had become close in the time that they had spent together and for it all just to come to an end like this left a weird feeling in the both of them.

"However," Danny's voice sounded and he turned his gaze back to the sky, "You have a life back there. You have plans and friends. I'm not going to be the one to hold you back from all those things."

The spirit had been thinking on the topic for some time now. He knew that Sam couldn't stay with him forever and he had finally come to accept that. It hurt a lot more than it should to think that she wouldn't come and see him and probably move on but he would deal with the pain. It would be better for her to do so anyways.

Sam stared at him for a moment. From the months that they had spent together, she would say that she had learned to read Danny pretty well. However, she hadn't actually thought that he would ever say such a thing and part of it stung.

"We have one week left. Seven days," she said softly looking over to him. He looked back at her. The sun reflected off of his snow colored hair as his lips turned upwards into a soft smile.

"Then let's make those seven days count."

_(-)_

And make them count they did.

Danny and Sam explored so much more of the forest in so little time that it was actually starting to annoy some of the spirits who resided in the wood. However, the spirits didn't dare do anything about it as it was nice to see that Danny had a friend for once. He had become a sort child to everyone there.

The pair often was found talking a lot more by the waterfall and Sam arrived early and stayed late. They watched the stars together and Danny shared tales of the different constellations that Clockwork had told him long ago. Sam, in return, shared the stories of the same constellations but the human version of the tale.

It was during one of these times that Sam found out something interesting about her emerald eyed friend.

"I've always wondered what it was like up there…" Danny said once knight, head resting on folded arms as he looked to the starry sky.

"Danny, you can fly. You know what it's like in the sky a lot more than most others," Sam retorted with a small huff. He shook his head.

"No, not in the sky. I want to know what it's like beyond that. Up in space amongst the stars and all. What's up there and what's beyond that? There's so much stuff that could be found and discovered!" he said tone growing slightly excited as he spoke of the possibilities of the beyond. Sam couldn't help a smile.

"You would make a good astronaut. They go up into space all the time trying to find answers."

Danny went silent thinking about the idea. He spoke slowly. "If I was human, I want to be an astronaut."

_(-)_

The week passed quickly and they found themselves heading towards the gate, a heavy atmosphere filling the air.

"This is it…" Sam spoke sadly. Danny nodded.

"Yeah."

"It's been fun."

He hummed an agreement.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

He nodded.

"Early morning."

Another nod.

Sam looked over to him with creased eyebrows. She could understand why he was so glum but he was never really this silent sad or not.

"Danny, you've been extremely quite all day. Normally, I wouldn't mind the silence but I do like talking to you."

He fiddled with the hilt of his blade in an almost nervous fashion before asking, "Do you… think you can sneak out later tonight?

"What? Why?" Sam asked a little confused at the request. He averted his gaze still playing with the blade. She rose an eyebrow. He wasn't normally this fidgety.

"The spirits are throwing a festival later on tonight… It's a traditional thing. One night only. And I was wondering if you could possibly want to maybe um go with me?" Danny's voice managed to raise an octave or two on those final two words.

Sam went completely silent a look of shock forming on her face. He was asking her to the festival? The statement managed to turn her cheeks the slightest shade of pink. She mentally cursed the blush. Danny took the silence the wrong way.

"I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to I just thought that since you have to leave tomorrow and all that we could maybe-"

"Danny," she said cutting off his rambling. He looked up to her an embarrassed blush forming on his cheeks.

"Yeah?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck.

"I would love to go."


	12. Chapter 12

**LAST CHAPTER! WHOO! Well not really, there's an epilogue after this so it's not completely over. It's been fun writing this even if it took me forever to do so but this is officially the first multi-chapter story I have ever finished, ever. And I've been writing since fifth grade…. Yeah that's a little sad but hey! I did it at least! Thanks for you guy's support through all of this. I really appreciate it.**

**And now for what you've been waiting for, ON TO THE CHAPTER!**

**Disclamer: Me don't own.**

It wasn't hard to sneak out of the house late that night. Once her parents went to sleep, they slept like logs. Sam smiled to herself as she dropped from the window and she headed out to the forest which seemed to glow. The spirits were already getting in the swing of things.

Danny met her at the edge of the forest dressed like normal though it was obvious he seemed a little less nervous than he was earlier that day which Sam was thankful for. He led her deep into the forest refusing to answer any of her questions about what the festival was like. He merely smirked and let out a small laugh.

After a couple minutes of endless questions and no answers, he led her into a large clearing and her eyes widened at the sight. Booths lined the edges of the clearing and more spirits than she had ever seen wondered the place. Lanterns were strung up in the trees and music played softly from who knows where. What struck her odd was that the spirits had taken on a human form with animal masks. She saw a fox mask chatting what seemed to be a werewolf by a food stall and a small pair of kids with frog masks trying to win some goldfish.

"They got the idea for these festivals after seeing the humans do it. Most spirits find it natural to slip into a human form when this time rolls around. Rumor has it the occasional human kid gets in here. There's really no way to tell," Danny explained with a smile as he examined the crowds. This struck a small thought in Sam's mind that she had never actually thought to ask before.

"Do you have a different form?" she asked looking over to Danny. He let out a small chuckle and shook his head.

"Nope. This is it," he said motioning to his humanoid form. Sam smiled and nodded with an inward sigh of relief. It would have been weird if he had been a fish or something. She wouldn't really know how to react to that.

"Now," Danny said clapping his hands together, "what do you want to do first?" Sam looked around trying to figure out what the two of them could do first. Most of the activities vaguely resembled human games though with a few spirit twists. She shrugged. She had no idea what to do.

Danny smiled widely as he took this as a cue that he could decide. He motioned for her to follow as he led her to a game booth and they both competed at that. Sam laughed and followed his lead.

And so the night continued on in that manner though at one moment both Danny and Sam received a miniature heart attack when they got separated in the crowds.

It was during a dance of sorts. Almost all of the spirits had moved to the center of the clearing to dance as the music changed to a sort of upbeat tune. Danny smiled and left Dam at the sidelines as she didn't know the song. He moved to the group in the center and joined in the dance as it was a sort of tradition among spirits.

Sam clapped along with the tune as she watched Danny move with the music. He wasn't half bad actually though that was probably from years of practice. She lost sight of him a couple times as the spirits weaved in and out of the group but it was fairly easy to catch sight of that snow white mop of hair once more.

When the dance was over, the spirits dispersed and she completely lost sight of her friend. Her eyes widened and she pushed her way through the crowds calling his name trying to find him again. It was when she heard her own name being screamed out that she calmed down a bit. She headed towards the noise and found Danny doing the same as her. When they reached each other, Danny led her to a calmer area and let out a relieved breath.

"Thought I lost you back there," he murmured rubbing the back of his neck. She rolled her eyes.

"You kinda did for a moment," she stated bluntly earning a nervous laugh from the spirit.

"Well, I got an idea that can keep that from happening again. Hold your arm out," Danny said untying the cloth that once wore to hide his face from around his neck. Sam blinked and did as he said a little curious to see what he was doing.

Danny unfolded the cloth to its full length which was actually longer than she had actually thought. He carefully tied one end of it around her wrist making sure that he didn't accidentally end up touching her. Once he had done that, he did the same with the other end to his own wrist. The length of the cloth was pretty much perfect. It was enough distance to make sure they didn't touch but short enough so that they didn't have to stay too far apart to keep it from dragging or getting caught on anything. Danny stepped back and admired his handiwork.

"There. Now we won't lose each other again," he said with a smile. Sam lifted her wrist and observed the cloth with a small smile before nodding. Danny's smile widened proudly.

Later on in the night, he began to lead her back to the waterfall and he refused to tell her why. He would simply smile back at her and tell her it's a surprise. She let out a frustrated sigh and followed him. When they got there, Danny had laid out a small blanket and motioned for her to sit down. She did and he laid back to look at the stars.

"So are you going to tell me what this is all about?" She asked him. He pointed to the sky.

"Just sit back and wait a couple moments. You'll see," he said not answering her question. She rolled her eyes and laid down beside him. Minutes later, the sky erupted into a series of bright colors. Fireworks. The spirits were setting off fireworks. Her eyes lit up as she watched.

Danny smiled and glanced over to her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed so happy, her lavender eyes reflecting the changing colors of the lights flashing in the sky. It broke him a little to think that this was the last night that he would be able to spend with her for a long time. He turned his attention towards the sky again fiddling with the cloth that connected him to her.

Once the light show was over, the two sat up and watched the rushing water of the falls and listened to the music in the background. They didn't say anything. There was nothing much that could be said. Eventually Danny removed his hat from around his neck and Sam looked over to him with raised eyebrows. With steady hands, he put the hat on her though it was lopsided so that it covered the side of her face. Her eyebrow's creased in confusion until she felt him kiss the hat where her cheek would be. Her face turned a bright scarlet and when she looked over, Danny was pointedly looking in a different direction, face a bright red as well.

Eventually the two decided to head back to the festival. They walked slowly and in silence as they didn't exactly know what to say to each other. Goodbye was out of the question. Neither of them wanted to even utter those words. It made it sound final and official even though they both knew that goodbye was coming soon.

"Hey Sam?" Danny finally spoke quietly. She hummed acknowledgement and looked over to him. "You'll come back next year right?"

"Of course I will. I'll force my parents to let me come if I have to," she said honestly. There was no way she wasn't going to come back after meeting him. He nodded quietly.

"Thanks… For everything you've done for me," he continued on. She had taught him what it was like to have friends, what it was like to truly have fun. He was really going to miss her.

"Thank_ you _for giving me the best summer of my life," Sam said. They looked to each other and shared a smile. They were getting closer to the festival and once there, they knew it would have to end. He'd have to lead her back and they would have to go their separate ways.

As the music and chatter of the spirits grew louder, a small boy with wolf ears came running by pulling a small paper kite behind him. The pair of teens paused to watch him with soft smiles until the kid tripped over a root. Danny reacted on reflex and grabbed the kid by the arm, keeping him from hitting the ground. He helped the boy back up.

"Hey, be careful ok?" Danny said looking over the kid to make sure he was ok. The boy looked up and nodded to Danny, brushing his clothes off.

"I will! Thank you mister!" the boy said happily before running off again pulling his kite behind him. Sam watched him go.

"That kid seemed nice. Well, spirit… He had wolf ears," Sam corrected turning back to Danny. She blinked when she saw him.

A soft golden glow had surrounded him and he was staring at the hand that had caught the child. It was already disappearing starting from his fingertips. His image was shimmering. Sam gasped.

"Don't tell me that kid was a hu-" She was quickly cut off when a pair of strong arms embraced her pulling her close. Danny began to speak quietly.

"I'm sorry… I broke our promise… But finally…. Finally I can touch you…" he whispered to her trying to hug her tighter as he felt his body fading from existence.

Sam hugged him back tightly with the useless hope that she would somehow be able to keep him there. Tears had begun to fall from her eyes and she wasn't able to make them stop. Too quickly did the light slowly fade from his body and too quickly did he disappear from her grip. The cloth that had once led them together lay with an empty loop on the ground. In just a matter of moments, the only evidence that there had ever been a Danny Phantom were the cloth, the hat, and the summer of memories Sam had with her. She fell to her knees tears streaming from her face.

On her last day of summer, Danny had disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

**Heheheheheheh….. Don't kill me? *hides behind Danny* I actually had this written the day I posted the last chapter. I just wanted to give it some time so I could see your reactions.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah no. Don't own.**

It had been a couple months since she had returned home from Japan. Sam and her family had returned to Amity Park and school had begun. Everything seemed to be normal.

Sam had brought the hat and cloth back with her to the states and she carried them around in her bag wherever she went. She had been quiet and she refused to tell anybody what had happened even though Tucker somehow managed to get ahold of the truth.

Eventually, the technogeek finally managed to get her out of her room and to the Fentons. He had heard about the mysterious kid waking up and hoped that just maybe that would get Sam back to her normal self.

Sam hung back as Tucker knocked on the door, pulling out Danny's hat from her bag. She played with it remembering that amazing summer that they had shared and the tragic event that had ended it. She didn't notice the door open or the new voice talking with Tucker. She did notice however the familiar sounding introduction.

"It's Danny. Danny Fenton."

Sam's head shot upwards, eyes widening. No… It couldn't be… But it was.

The boy's hair was a raven black instead of the normal snow white. His eyes were an icy blue and his skin seemed to have paled a bit. Despite these differences, he was exactly the same. Same hair style, same body type. Same laugh, same smile. He even had the same voice. It was Danny. Her Danny.

She should have been happy. She should have been overwhelmed by joy. That wasn't the case. Sam was angry. She stormed towards him ignoring the confused protests coming from Tucker. Danny smiled when she walked up though it was wiped off his face in a matter of seconds when she slapped him across the face.

"Ow! What the heck was that for Sam?!" he said holding his stinging cheek. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam was glad that he actually remembered her and that she hadn't just slapped someone who didn't know why she was angry.

"For leaving me like that! Gosh, I thought you had gone forever!" she yelled at him before putting his hat back on his head while he rubbed his cheek muttering things like "It wasn't my fault…" or "How was I supposed to know this would happen?"

Sam didn't hesitate in grabbing his collar and pulling him forward, pressing her lips to his. He froze eyes widening in surprise. His face went red. When she finally let him go, she smiled.

"And that was for finding a way to come back," she said and he smiled, cheeks gaining a pinkish tint. He laughed a little nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

It was then a cough sounded and the two turned their attention to a rather frustrated Tucker. His arms were crossed and his foot tapped on the pavement.

"Is someone going to tell me what the heck just happened?" he demanded and the pair laughed bring Tucker inside the Fenton household. They had a lot of explaining to do.

**And that's it! Hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I have. I am still working on that other project so you guys haven't seen the last of me!**


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